World of Warcraft: Midnight shows us how darkness is approaching Azeroth in its Deep Dive
Discover all the new features coming to the next WoW expansion.
This morning, Blizzard held a Deep Dive presentation for the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion: Midnight. The second chapter in this trilogy will arrive in early 2026, but after half an hour of streaming, we got a sneak peek at everything it has to offer.
The first dramatic chapter of the Worldsoul Saga, The War Within, concluded with the terrifying ascent of Xal’atath. Having siphoned immense power—including the Black Blood beneath Azj-Kahet and the strength of the last Void Lord, Demensius—the villain now returns to Azeroth as the ultimate threat. World of Warcraft: Midnight, the second and darker chapter of the trilogy, sees Xal’atath leading the formidable Devouring Host with a singular, cataclysmic goal: snuffing out the Light of the Sunwell and plunging the world into eternal darkness.
Players are immediately thrust into a desperate fight for survival, beginning their journey on the Isle of Quel’Danas as the Sunwell’s surging Light calls out for aid. This initial defense quickly leads to Silvermoon City, which has been fully restored to a thriving capital under the Sunwell’s renewed radiance. This conflict forces the Alliance and Horde into a wary, necessary cooperation, with shared central areas for common services.
A World Reborn, and Re-Threatened
The immense power of the Sunwell has infused the land, healing much of the damage of past wars to create a reimagined, larger Eversong Woods—now seamlessly joined with the Ghostlands and the rest of the Eastern Kingdoms. This flourishing landscape, however, faces a unique threat from Lightbloom, pockets of light-enriched growth that threaten to smother all life if left unchecked. Players will investigate this rampant propagation alongside other mysteries, including a sinister murder plot.
Beyond Eversong, the main questline offers players three concurrent paths they can tackle in any order:
- Zul’Aman: The ancient Amani Troll Empire is at one of its lowest points, battling Void-aligned cultists. Aiding Zul’jarra, the granddaughter of Zul’Jin, will secure the invaluable Amani as allies against Xal’atath.
- Harandar: At the confluence of the World Tree’s roots lies this primordial jungle, a literal entanglement of Azeroth’s history. Players will meet the reclusive Haranir, an insular people who can no longer afford neutrality against Xal’atath’s all-consuming ambition.
- Arator’s Journey: Accompanying Arator, the son of Turalyon and Alleria Windrunner, players embark on a continent-spanning quest to bolster the Sunwell and strengthen the Vanguard of the Light, culminating in a dramatic showdown in the Shadow of Black Rock Mountain.
The ultimate confrontation awaits in the Voidstorm, the raging center of a shadowy maelstrom and the epicenter of Xal’atath’s power. This zone is a hostile, chaotic environment where gravity is untethered and insatiable Void creatures known as Domannar stalk their prey. For respite, players can visit The Arcontina, a new, not-so-secret cross-faction tavern that serves as a haven and a source of new quests that send adventurers across Azeroth.
As expected, delves, dungeons, and raids return and are more than battlefields; they are the sacred and defiled spaces where strength is forged and legends are tested. Each descent into these realms offers not only danger but also the promise of power for those bold enough to face them.
In Midnight, players will confront a host of new challenges, beginning with delves such as Parhelion Plaza on the isle of Quel’Dans. Here, adventurers must defend the Sunwell by restoring fortifications, commanding light-based artillery, navigating pocket dimensions, and defeating Gladius Slaurna. Across the expansion, nine additional delves and a rotating Nemesis Delve promise ever-shifting encounters. Players won’t face these trials alone—companions like Valeera Sanguinar bring versatile combat styles, shifting between damage, healing, and tanking roles.
From the haunted halls of Windrunner Spire to the depths of Zul’Aman and the blighted arenas of the Voidstorm, Midnight’s dungeons expand Azeroth’s most treacherous corners. Seven new dungeons and three epic raids await, pitting players against foes drawn from the darkest reaches of the Void. The Dreamrift, the Voidspire, and the March on Quel’Danas each house threats that test the limits of courage and strategy—from corrupted phoenixes to half-formed gods.
New Class Specialization, Allied Race, and Challenging Content
Midnight introduces a host of features designed to enhance player choice, power, and personal connection to Azeroth.
For Demon Hunter players, the new Devourer specialization embraces the darkness. These mid-range damage dealers bend the Void to their will, ripping Void fragments from their enemies to fuel cataclysmic spells. Abilities like Voidblade and Hungering Slash allow them to dart in and out of the fray, while Reap consumes collected soul fragments for a massive burst of damage. Void elves are also joining the Demon Hunter ranks, adding a new race/class combination.
The new playable allied race is the Haranir, an elemental, primal people from the jungle of Harandar. Infused with the inner light of organic power, they are ferocious hunters. Their unique racial ability allows them to travel instantly along the roots of the world between Harandar and any World Tree. Haranir are versatile, capable of being Warriors, Hunters, Rogues, Priests, Shamans, Mages, Warlocks, Monks, and Druids, with the latter receiving new forms reflecting their deep connection to the earth.
The new Prey system, an opt-in initiative run by Astalor Bloodsworn in Silvermoon, offers unpredictable, high-difficulty challenges. Players track deadly targets to siphon Anguish, a powerful magic, in exchange for generous compensation, including mounts, cosmetics, titles, and housing items. Prey features three difficulties—Normal, Hard, and Nightmare—with higher tiers incorporating Torments, personal afflictions that add further complexity and danger to the hunt.
Housing Arrives in Azeroth
One of the most anticipated features, Housing, is also a core part of Midnight, though it will arrive slightly later in early December for those who already pre-ordered the expansion. Housing is designed for “boundless self-expression,” allowing players to collect hundreds of decorations, which can be rotated, scaled, and moved. Rewards for decorating are earned through dungeons, raids, achievements, and even post-facto for completing milestones in past expansions. All professions will be able to craft decor, using lumber, a new gathering resource.
Houses are placed in a shared zone called a Neighborhood, where players can show off their homes and participate in Endeavors, which are monthly neighborhood-wide activities to earn house XP and exclusive decor. Players will have a choice between Public neighborhoods or Private neighborhoods for guilds and small groups. The initial launch will offer four exterior themes: Orcs, Humans, Blood Elves, and Night Elves.
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